Fafnir was the dragon emperor not just because of his strength, but because of his bond with all dragons. Fafnir was the first dragon, so essentially, all dragons were his children. He is the dragon emperor and the dragon primogenitor, so when Vaelrith and Drakar fell in battle, he felt it and sensed it. He felt their fear, their pain, their struggles, before they died, and the fear they felt shook him to the core.
Dragons were never afraid. They were the apex beings in the mortal world for a reason. Even a dragon could challenge a god, and they had the pride and strength to back it... at least that's what the legends said. A dragon experiencing fear was too unrealistic, especially for Fafnir, but it had happened.
His subjects had experienced soul-deep fear as if they'd faced their natural predator.
